Creating a glossy thermometer chart

The trick involves creating a chart that uses a single cell (which holds a percentage value) as a data series.

For example, a worksheet set up to track monthly progress toward a goal: 1,000 new sales in a year. Cell C17 contains the goal value, and cell C19 contains a simple sum formula:

= SUM (C5:C16)

Cell C21 contains a formula that calculates the percent of goal:

= C19 / C17.

As you enter new data in column C, the formulas display the current results.

To create the chart like this one, do the following:

   1.   Select cell C21 if you want to create a percentage axis or select cell C19 if you want to create a volume axis (in this example, used C19).

Notice the blank cell before cell C19. Without this blank row, Excel uses the entire data block for the chart, not just a single cell. Because C19 is isolated from the other data, the Chart Wizard uses only the single cell.

   2.   On the Insert tab, in the Charts group, choose the Column button:

Choose the Clustered Column chart.

   3.   Remove the horizontal (x) axis and the title.

   4.   To make the column occupy the entire width of the plot area, double-click the column to display the Format Data Series task pane (or choose it in the popup menu). Then in the Series Options tab, change the Gap Width setting:

Set the Gap Width to 0.

   5.   On the Format Axis task pane, in the Axis Options tab, set the Minimum to 0 and the Maximum to 1 (if you use a percentage axis) or to 1000 (for this example):

You can also hide the zero point in the axis (see How to hide points on the chart axis) and the axis line.

   6.   On the Insert tab, in the Illustrations group, select Shapes:

   7.   On the Shapes list, in the Basic Shapes group, choose Oval or Chord:

   8.   Format the shape and insert the data label (see How to insert cell content to the shape).

You can then make any other adjustments to get the look you desire.

See also this tip in French: Comment créer un graphique de thermomètre brillant.